The present invention relates to a process for the continuous production of capacitors of the stacked type, wherein a stock or matrix capacitor is firstly produced in the form of a parallelepipedal bar comprising a plurality of metallised dielectric films of which the metallised layers of even and odd number are interconnected respectively by lateral connections formed by the application of molten metal, e.g. the Schoop process, the said matrix capacitor then being cut by sawing into unitary capacitors whose lateral connections formed by the application of molten metal are thereupon joined to electrical connecting wires.
A process of this kind is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,731,706. In the capacitor production process disclosed in this patent, two dielectric films metallised on one of their surfaces are simultaneously produced on a large-diameter wheel, in such a manner as to form a stack. These two metallised dielectric films are generally of substantially identical width but wound slightly staggered with respect to each other, in such a manner that it is thereby possible to connect the films of even number on the one hand and the films of odd number on the other hand by lateral electrical connections formed by the application of molten metal. Connecting wires are then connected to the lateral connections formed by application of molten metal, after which the individual capacitors are separated from the stock or matrix capacitor by sawing, the stock or matrix capacitor being held on the wheel of large diameter on which it had been wound. A process of this kind is particularly advantageous for high-volume series production of capacitors, but does not make it possible to perform an electrical check on the capacitors prior to soldering on the lateral connecting wires. This problem becomes particularly important if the capacitors are subsequently clipped on belts for automatic feed to production lines, since the connections commonly consist of hairpins of which the two branches are interconnected and which no longer permit electrical testing after being soldered to the conections formed by the application of molten metal.